The workshop was held as the fourth holding of the ICRI Regional Workshop in East Asia region, with an objectives: (i) To bring together policy makers, MPA managers, experts and practitioners in East Asia and other regions to increase understanding of status and challenges of MPAs/MPA networks and discuss on how East Asian countries can enhance developing MPA networks on coral reefs and related ecosystems toward 2012 global target including through global perspectives; and (ii) To plan the way forward until 2010 as a preparatory meeting including development of regional strategy and provisional TOR of possible meetings and activities in 2009 and 2010.

The workshop was co-hosted by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and ICRI secretariat, and co-chaired by Mr. Yoshihiro Natori of the United Nations University, and Dr. Vo Si Tuan of the Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam. A total of 65 participants attended the workshop including 10 East Asian governments and 28 international and regional organizations, academia and NGOs.